Rating: Summary: A real step up for Jason Statham! Review: I really enjoyed Jason Statham's performance in John Carpenter's 'Ghosts on Mars.' I was therefore very excited to see that he's taken a real step up in 'The Transporter," where he plays an operator hired to ferry illicit material via car from one specified point to another. As such, the premise is weak. (Why would you need to hire someone to do this?) But the film, which is overflowing with both action and incredulity, is entertaining nonetheless.Jason falls for a cute Oriental Babe, Shu Qi, whom he discovers in the trunk of his car stuffed into the zippered satchel that he's delivering. She has gorgeous eyes and shapely legs. Her beauty, unfortunately, doesn't improve appreciably once the duct tape binding her mouth is removed. Her Confucian father, however, is an even pricier piece of work. He has wild eyes and plastic looking skin. But even more distracting is the spidery toupee he wears that looks, on most occasions, as though he applied it to his scalp backwards! The movie's action sequences and cinematography, thankfully, are first rate. Jason spends a lot of time driving a pristine black BMW around the lovely streets of Monaco. He dodges armor piercing rounds and wire guided missiles which completely destroy his house. He does a reasonable imitation of both Jet Li and Jackie Chan as he brawls (seriously and comically) with numerous bad guys throughout the film. And he finishes with an exciting Vin Diesel XXX-like drop-from-the-sky-by-parachute-rendezvous to hijack a Mercedes eighteen-wheeler led convoy to save the day - and win the girl - while simultaneously rescuing us from her father's hideous appearance once and for all! If you watch this feature, don't bother counting the flaws in the plot. You'll quickly run out of fingers. Even so, 'The Transporter' is still mindlessly entertaining. I just hope that this movie indicates that better films are yet in store for us...from Jason Statham!
Rating: Summary: Nothing Special but not all that bad. Review: In the end all martial arts action movies are all the same but unlike most jackie chan and chuck norris movies this one doesnt [dive] but it really doesnt bring much to the table also. Statham plays the transporter who follows his very own set of strict rules but he eventually has to break them as a young women he unknowingly discovers he's transporting brings him into some trouble with some..well im not really sure if they were mafia,or gangsters or just some guys but it's not really important.anywho the opening car chase is pretty good and the fight scenes are highly entertaining. A movie similar to this one but better is the big hit with mark whalberg, a great action movie spliced in with comedy...which is usually a bad combo but this one was done very well.
Rating: Summary: Not even in the ballpark. Review: Don't get me wrong. I love a god action film. ... But this film, Transporter, is for the kids. Large caliber automatic weapons and handguns produce as much recoil as cap pistols, bullets somehow produce lighted streaks when sailing through the air and walls, and guided missiles are so slow to arrive on target that folks can see them coming and have time for a spot of dialogue before leaping to safety. The film makers are only boys playing guns in this movie. Forget the "realism" with regard to firearms. The story itself is so clichéd I could barely believe it was being rehashed one more time. It was yet another "cold professional/assassin slowly reveals a heart through his forced protection of hostage/victim" storyline. As is often happens, the filmmakers and actors involved haven't got the skill to pull this trick off, and things are quick, sloppy and unconvincing. The holes in this film are so huge as to make the whole thing comic. My favorite part is when a phalanx of bad guys assails the hero's château in France with everything from AK-47s to heat seeking missiles for a full one to two minutes, spewing rivers of spent cases the whole time, without either stirring the interest of any neighbors or police. The tough guys don't seem tough. The bad guys don't seem bad. Finally, the musical score and dialogue belong in a bush-league soft-core flick.
Rating: Summary: Public tranportation at it's best Review: I first saw Jason Statham in the greatest Jet Li movie ever, "The One", where he was a cop. Since then he has acquired a blackbelt and alot of rippled muscles to make his first starring role in "The Transporter". Statham plays Frank Martin, a former british special forces agent who now works as a transporter for just about anything. His code of conduct is, never change the terms of the deal, never learn each others names, and NEVER look in the package. His latest assignment involves tranporting a duffel bag across europe, and he winds up violating the golden rule and finds Lai (Mega-babe Shu Qi, in her first american film), a somewhat talkative Chinese girl. She reveals that her father is a slave trader, and wants her as part of the family business. With this information, Frank reforms and agrees to help Lai bust up her father's operation. This is as good an action movie as it could've been, in fact better. It's got chases, explosions, gratuitous PG-13 level nudes, kung fu fighting, you name it, because this movie is likely to please just about anyone in need of escapist thrills. It's not every martial arts movie that has a fight in a bus station, with the floor drenched in motor oil, and the hero strapping bike pedals to his feet to execute the kicks without falling on his butt.
Rating: Summary: Best fights scene's of the year! Not the best plot ever... Review: Best fights scene's of the year! Not the best plot ever but who cares right that's how all teen action films are these days, 'xXx' with Vin Diesel . In fact I want to say that Jason Statham is the British Vin Diesel across sea's. Although he may not be as built, his physique is definetly the same and he is for surely much quicker. Also just like Vin Diesel in xXx and/or The Fast and The Furious he is very smooth with cars and women. To get to the point if you like action and don't care if the movie doesn't completely make sense get this. If not rent or buy something more like 'Get Carter' with Sylvestor Stallone or a James Bond movie that actually makes sense and has plenty of action.
Rating: Summary: Starts strong, but... Review: If the second half of this movie had been able to duplicate the action and fun of the first 45 minutes of this movie, it would be one of the greatest action films ever made. But, well, they didn't. The movie starts out going full speed (literally) while introducing you to Jason Statham's character--a detail-obsessed courier who delivers packages for bad guys. His reputation is built on his 3 guiding principles: Do not renegotiate/change the deal; no names; and don't look in the package. Of course, he winds up breaking his own rules which puts him and the human "package" in mortal danger. Fighting his own instincts, he gets involved with trying to help the woman. The movie gets sort of predictable from this point on, with the standard love scene/kidnapping/show down with the main enemy. What saves this movie is Jason Statham, and the lack of cheesy one-liners. Jason's moves are extremely good, and there are some scenes when he looks almost Jackie Chan-like (almost). Overall, it's much better than average, but not without its flaws. One last thing--the techno sound pulsing through the movie is not the U.S. soundtrack for the movie. If you want the music from the movie, you have to go to www.Amazon.com's UK site.
Rating: Summary: Packs a punch Review: Great action movie filled with high speed chases, fast paced fight sequences and witty dialog. This movie had everything and more. Jason Stratham does a great job of bringing the audiance on a hair raising journey through the streets of europe. Everyone in our family loved this movie and my wife says she now has a new hunk to add to her favorites. Two thumbs up!!!!!!
Rating: Summary: Fantastic action film Review: They really don't make action films much better than this. The fight sequences are complex and very well done, the kind of complex scenes that haven't been done well since Bruce Lee--and I'm not exaggerating. Nice plot although the ending is formulaic.
Rating: Summary: Hey guys and gals! You'll both like this one. Review: I wasn't expecting to enjoy an action flick last night, but when my hubby popped in Transporter I found my attention held almost against my will. I don't generally choose action for my own movie nights. Unexpectedly, the combination of incredible but well-pulled-off stunt sequences and the undeniable charisma of Jason Statham hooked me in. In case you (like most law-abiding citizens) didn't know, a transporter is the guy who not only acts as a high-priced delivery service for such savory folk as mobsters, but also occasionally lands gigs driving the getaway car from the scene of the crime. From the opening scene where he is doing just that, our transporter, Frank Martin, is clearly the best in the business. A series of improbable car stunts and narrow escapes during the getaway chase establishes the general fast pacing of this movie and the slick professionalism of our "hero". And guys, his Beemer almost has enough gadgets to qualify as a 007 model. This transporter made the fatal error of breaking one of his own rules when a mobster hired him to deliver a package: Never Look Inside. Sure enough, he discovered a conscience within himself. From that point on, his fate was set against the powerful underground smuggling cartel dealing in human cargo. The chase scenes, fight scenes, and general action that ensues throughout the film are interspersed with just enough plot twist to keep it interesting and just enough humanity to keep it grounded without becoming maudlin. This is a somewhat toned-down version of a James Bond-like fantasy, set in the beautiful rural countryside of France and riddled with bullets and explosions that take out cars and buildings instead of entire islands. Of course, there is the obligatory gorgeous female who can't keep her hands off of Martin. Great for the testosterone and the estrogen all at once. In the end, the Transporter did its job: I had fun without rolling my eyes once. -Andrea, aka Merribelle
Rating: Summary: Weak Plot, But Mildly Entertaining Film Like a Video Game Review: Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen's 2002 film "The Transporter" can be best described as watching a live-action video game: the film offers lots of action within the framework of a very weak plot. The film's main character, Frank Martin (Jason Statham), earns his living as a mercenary, who stealthily transports items (including people) across Europe in his black BMW, which he meticulously maintains in immaculate condition. He prefers to work on a nameless, "no questions asked", basis with his clientele, but demands exacting descriptions of the cargo with regard to dimensions and weight. He is paid quite handsomely for his services so that he can live in a rustic house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea along the southern coast of France. A local policeman, Tarconi (François Berléand), keeps a close eye on Frank by making unexpected visits to his seaside home. When Frank is hired to transport his latest package, he notices that it moves when it is dropped into the trunk of his BMW. Along his leisurely drive to transport the 'item', he stops for food and makes the mistake of offering water to the person inside his trunk, an annoying woman named Lai (Qi Shu). Having violated his own rules, Frank gets himself into trouble with her consignee, Darren 'Wall Street' Bettencourt (Matt Schulze), who attempts to kill Frank. Frank returns to seek his revenge upon Bettencourt, but unwittingly rescues Lai and continues to dig himself deeper into trouble. The biggest flaw in the film is the development of Frank Martin's character. Initially, he is presented as being a very cold, uncaring and calculating perfectionist who is prepared for virtually any situation. When he feels sympathy for the person that he's transporting in his trunk and becomes embroiled with her problems, it comes across as being totally unapt. Another major flaw is the film's editing, which is highly reminiscent of playing a video game: i.e., people suddenly appearing out of nowhere and Frank's very elaborate defenses conveniently matching every circumstance. The film does have a few memorable scenes including the demonstrations of Jason Statham's martial arts skills, the bank robbers, and Frank's home being attacked. The acting is average to below-average (especially Qi Shu and Ric Young, who plays her father Mr. Kwai) and the weak plot is predictable. However, the constant mélange of flying bullets, rocket-propelled grenades, explosions and car chases make for a mildly entertaining film that I rate with 3 out of 5 stars. If you are looking for a lot of action, but don't care about plot, "The Transporter" can give you just that. If you haven't seen the film, I advise renting it first to determine if this is a film that you want to watch more than once.
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